67 motifs match “weak”  ·  back to the chapters

• Fettered monster's weakened chains renewed by supernatural power. Are almost licked in two by dog but then renewed. A1074.7
• Fettered monster's weakened chains renewed by stroke of a smith. (Cf. A1071.2.) A1074.8
• Sickness or weakness for breaking tabu. C940
• Weakness from seeing woman (fairy) naked. C942.3
• Sickness or weakness for breaking tabu – miscellaneous. C949
• Magic object gives weakness. D1336
• Magic sword gives weakness. (Cf. D1081.) D1336.1
• Magic food gives weakness. (Cf. D1030.) D1336.2
• Magic apple gives weakness. (Cf. D981.1.) D1336.2.1
• Magic music gives weakness. (Cf. D1275.1.) D1336.3
• Magic shield gives weakness. (Cf. D1101.1.) D1336.4
• Saint's bell gives weakness. (Cf. D1213.) D1336.5
• Magic fire gives weakness. (Cf. D1271.) D1336.6
• Magic drink gives weakness. (Cf. D1040.) D1336.7
• Magic spell gives weakness. (Cf. D1273.) D1336.8
• Magic weakness. D1837
• Magic weakness during certain period. D1837.1
• Magic weakness for five days each year. (Cf. D1837.3.) D1837.1.1
• Magic weakness never entirely removed. D1837.2
• Magic weakness as result of fairy's (goddess's) curse. (Cf. D1837.1.1.) D1837.3
• Magic weakness from eating sender's food. D1837.5
• Fairy music causes weakness. F262.3.7
• Fairies cause weakness. F362.3
• Spirit causes weakness. F402.1.6
• Dwarfs are weak. F451.3.9
• Phantom women cause weakness. F585.3
• Riddle: why are there more women than men? (Some women make women [i.e., weaklings] of their husbands.) H774
• "Do not marry more than one woman". Man who wanted three, marries one and is weakened greatly. J21.32
• Big fish eat little: robber will plunder weak neighbors. J133.6
• Peacock proved to be bad king. Chosen because of beauty; too weak to defend his flock. J242.4
• Association of strong and weak. J420
• Subordination of weak to strong. J421
• Weak fear company of strong. J425
• Association of strong and weak – miscellaneous. J429
• Fool fasts on roof till he becomes so weak he falls off. J565.1
• Wise fear of the weak for the strong. J613
• Defences by strengthening one's own weakest spots. J672
• Foolishness of alliances with the weak. J682
• Boaster of victory over a weaker person reprimanded. J978
• Testimony gradually weakened. Witness agrees to the following facts in succession: that the person relating the facts may have been in anger, that he may have misunderstood, that he may not have heard it at all. J1151.3
• Thieves tell judge walls of houses were so weak they could not resist temptation of breaking in. J1165.1
• Distrusts God when he can be brought by a man. Priest offers to help peasant with "the body of the Lord". – "If God can be brought by a man, he is too weak to help me." J1261.2.2
• Stingy innkeeper cured of serving weak beer. She always gives the servants a pitcher of weak beer before meals so as to fill them up. One of them: "I wash out my insides so as to have more room for food." She changes her practice. J1341.7
• The old man nods "Yes". A monk at an old man's deathbed asks if he hasn't promised this and that to the church. The old man from weakness rather than understanding nods "Yes". The son standing by asks, "Shall I throw this fellow down stairs?" The old man nods "Yes". J1521.2
• Deduction: bread made by a sick woman. It falls apart; therefore it was kneaded by a weak person. J1661.1.3
• Clever use of human weakness. Penny demanded of every bad man, two pennies of every good man. Thus two pennies received from every man. J1672
• Foolish interference in quarrel of the strong fatal to the weak. J2143
• Loss of eating contest because of weak legs. The sheep thinks that that is the reason for loss of the contest. J2228
• The hawk frightened at the snipe's bill. The snipe: "It is a bill, but it is good for nothing (weak)." The hawk is no longer afraid. J2616
• Weak animal (man) makes large one (ogre) believe that he has eaten many of the large one's companions. The latter is frightened. K1715
• Weak animal shows strong his own reflection and frightens him. Tells him that this animal is threatening to kill him. (Usually hare and lion.) K1715.1
• Weak animal shows strong his own reflection and makes him believe that it is the head of the last animal slain by the weak. K1715.1.1
• Spies' false report of enemies' weakness brings on premature attack. K2363
• [First Edition (Additions and Corrections): K2363. Women sent into enemies' camp corrupt and weaken the army.] K2363[1st ed.]
• Triumph of the weak. L300
• Weak overcomes strong in conflict. L310
• Weak (small) hero overcomes large fighter. L311
• Easy escape of weak (small). L330
• Triumph of the weak – miscellaneous. L390
• Dying father condemns weak son to be servant of his brothers. M438.5
• Only weak-minded person may unearth a treasure. N551.1
• Twins: as twins are reared one born earlier becomes continually weaker, the other stronger. T685.4
• Wolf unjustly accuses lamb and eats him. When all the lamb's defenses are good the wolf asserts the right of the strong over the weak. (Usually accused of stirring up water from lower in stream.) (Cf. U141.) U31
• Church member who has been called to task about his lying habits tells another lie in expressing his concern for his weakness. He says he has shed barrels of tears because of his weakness. X909.1.1
• Lie: weak dog. X1215.4
• Three weak things that are the strongest. Z71.1.14
• Unique source of weakness. Z312.3